Steffen's Dinners - Recipes and Photos

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This potato and pumpkin soup is the result of a little experimentation. It is made from potatoes and pumpkin puree, fresh ginger, onions, carrots, bacon and celery. It is mildly spicy from ginger and cayenne. For me the soup truly captures the spirit of the fall season.

Ingredients

• 2 oz / 60g bacon, diced (see notes for a vegetarian version)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 2 lbs / 1kg potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 can (15 oz / ca. 400g) pumpkin puree
• 1 oz / 30g fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 quart / 1l chicken stock
• ½ cup / 120ml white wine
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ cup / 120ml sour cream
• cayenne pepper and parsley for garnish
• ½ small onion or shallot, finely chopped and browned in butter for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. Set large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Render bacon until nicely browned.
2. Add onion and brown well.
3. Add carrot, celery, ginger and potatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Add stock (potatoes should be well covered by the liquid), salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in pumpkin puree.
5. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are done (ca. 30 minutes).
6. Add white wine, simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes.
7. Puree with a stick blender
8. Stir in sour cream. Adjust seasoning with pepper and salt
9. Garnish with parsley, sprinkle with cayenne pepper and optionally browned onions. Serve.

Notes

• For a meatless version, replace the bacon by 2 tbsp of butter and the chicken stock by vegetable stock.

Yields ca. 4 (full meal) to 8 (starter soup) servings.

Preparation time ca. 1 hour.